Chapter7-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《水孩子The Water Babies》

Chapter VII "And Nature,the old Nurse,took The child upon her knee, Saying,'Here is a story book Thy father hath written for thee "'Come wander with me,'she said, 'Into regions yet untrod, And read what is still unread In the Manuscripts of God.' "And he wandered away and away With Nature,the dear old Nurse, Who sang to him night and day The rhymes of the universe." 一LONGFELLOW Now,”said Tom,“I am ready be off,ifit's to the world'send.” "Ah!"said the fairy,"that is a brave,good boy.But you must go farther than ·270· 第七章 大自然老保姆， 将孩子抱在膝上， 说：“有本故事书， 你父亲写给你的书。” “同我去進逛吧，”她说， “漫游人迹未至的地方， 读一读上帝手稿里 尚未有人读过的篇章。” 跟着亲爱的老保姆 大自然，他越走越远； 她日日夜夜为他唱着 宇宙万物的诗篇。 一朗费罗 “现在，”汤姆说，“我就准备走了，就是到天边也去。” “好！”仙女说。“这才是个勇敢的好孩子。如果 ·271· Chapter VII the world's end,if you want to find Mr.Grimes;for he is at the Other-end-of- Nowhere.You must go to Shiny Wall,and through the white gate that never was opened;and then you will come to Peacepool,and Mother Carey's Haven,where the good whales go when they die.And there Mother Carey will tell you the way to the Other-end-of-Nowhere,and there you will find Mr.Grimes." “Oh,dear!”said Tom.“But I do not know my way to Shiny Wall,or where it is at all..” "Little boys must take the trouble to find out things for themselves,or they will never grow to be men;so that you must ask all the beasts in the sea and the birds in the air,and if you have been good to them,some of them will tell you the way to Shiny Wall..” “Wel,”said Tom,“'it will be a long journey,so I had better start at once. Good-bye,Miss Ellie;you know I am getting a big boy,and I must go out and see the world." "I know you must,"said Ellie;"but you will not forget me,Tom.I shall wait here till you come.” And she shook hands with him,and bade him good-bye.Tom longed very much again to kiss her;but he thought it would not be respectful,considering she was a lady born;so he promised not to forget her:but his little whirl-about of a head was so full of the notion of going out to see the world,that it forgot her in five minutes:however,though his head forgot her,I am glad to say his heart did not. So he asked all the beasts in the sea,and all the birds in the air,but none of them knew the way to Shiny Wall.For why?He was still too far down south. Then he met a ship,far larger than he had ever seen-a gallant ocean-steamer, with a long cloud of smoke trailing behind;and he wondered how she went on without sails,and swam up to her to see.A school of dolphins were running races round and round her,going three feet for her one,and Tom asked them the way to Shiny Wall:but they did not know.Then he tried to find out how she moved,and at last he saw her screw,and was so delighted with it that he played under her ·272· 第七章 你要找到格里姆斯先生，你得走得比天边还远，他在 ‘天外天'。你得先到光辉城，穿过那从不打开的白城门， 然后到达和平池和护持婆婆港。这个护持婆婆港就是善 良的鲸鱼临死时去的地方，在那里，护持婆婆就会告诉 你去‘天外天’的路，你就可以找到格里姆斯先生。” “天哪！”汤姆说。“可是我不认识去光辉城的路， 也一点都不知道这地方在哪儿啊。” “小孩子不能怕麻烦，一定得自己去问路，不然就 长不大。你得去问海中的动物和天上的飞禽。只要你好 好对待他们，总有几个会告诉你去光辉城的路。” “嗯，”汤姆说，“这路途还挺远的，我还是马上动 身吧。再见了，艾莉小姐。你知道我已经长大了，我得 出去看看世界。” “我知道你得去，”艾莉说，“可是别忘了我啊，汤 姆，我会等你回来。” 她和汤姆握手，说了再见。汤姆又想要吻她。可是 想到她是个小姐，觉得不大礼貌，因此他就答应不会忘 记她。不过由于他满脑子里想的都是去游历世界，所以 不到五分钟，就已经忘记得干干净净了。他脑子里虽然 忘记了她，好在心里还记着。 一路上，汤姆都向海中的动物和空中的飞禽问路， 可是没有一个认识去光辉城的路。为什么呢？原来他离 北方太远了。 后来他碰见一条船，比他过去见过的船都要大得 多。那是一艘雄伟的海轮，船后面拖着长长的一条黑 烟。汤姆弄不明白它为什么没有帆也能航行，就游到 跟前去看个究竞。一群海豚正在追逐着汽船，在船周 围绕来绕去，所以船前进一英尺，他们要游三英尺远。 汤姆问他们是否知道去光辉城的路，他们都说不知道。 后来他想研究这船怎么走动的，就发现原来有个螺旋 ①screw[skru:]n.螺旋 推进叶。他高兴得不得了，在船尾底下玩了整整一天， ·273· Chapter VII quarter all day,till he nearly had his nose knocked off by the fans,and thought it time to move.Then he watched the sailors upon deck,and the ladies,with their bonnets and parasols:but none of them could see him,because their eyes were not opened,-as,indeed,most people's eyes are not. At last there came out into the quarter-gallery a very pretty lady,in deep black widow's weeds,and in her arms a baby.She leaned over the quarter-gallery, and looked back and back toward England far away;and as she looked she sang: "Softsoft wind,from out the sweet south sliding. Waft thy silver cloud-webs athwart the summer sea; Thin thin threads of mist on dewy fingers twining Weave a veil of dappled gauze to shade my babe and me. I. "Deep deep Love,within thine own abyss abiding, Pour Thyself abroad,O Lord,on earth and air and sea; Worn weary hearts within Thy holy temple hiding. Shield from sorrow,sin,and shame my helpless babe and me." Her voice was so soft and low,and the music of the air so sweet,that Tom could have listened to it all day.But as she held the baby over the gallery rail,to show it the dolphins leaping and the water gurgling in the ship's wake,lo and behold,the baby saw Tom. He was quite sure of that for when their eyes met,the baby smiled and held out his hands;and Tom smiled and held out his hands too;and the baby kicked and leaped,as if it wanted to jump overboard to him. "What do you see,my darling?"said the lady;and her eyes followed the baby's till she too caught sight of Tom,swimming about among the foam-beads below. ·274· 第七章「 ①quarter[kwo:to]n.(舰 差点被推进叶把自己的鼻子打掉，这才想到该是起身 船上的)住舰区 的时候了。他随即窥见甲板上的水手，还有女士们， ②parasol[parasol]n.(女 戴着风帽，拿着小伞。可是甲板上的人一个也看不见他， 用)阳伞 因为他们的眼晴没有睁开一正如实际上，很多人眼 睛都没有睁开。 后来船尾甲板上来了一个美妇人，穿着深黑的寡妇 丧服，手里抱着一个婴孩。她倚在后船舷上，不停回头 眺望远处的英格兰，一面望着，一面唱道： “柔和、柔和的风儿从芬芳的南方吹来， ③wa[wf)v随风传送 随风飘来的云彩如银色的网覆盖着夏日的海； 薄薄的雾在沾着露珠的手指上缠绕 ④dappled[dapld]a.有花 编织了一层斑驳的纱遮盖了我和小孩。 斑的 “深藏你内心深处，永不变的深爱， 将自己播向四海，啊，主，播向大地、天空和 ⑤abyss[bbis]n.深渊 大海； 被磨得疲惫的心，藏在你神圣的所宿之处， 保护无助的我和小孩免于悲伤、罪过和耻辱。” 她的歌声又轻又低，而且音调非常美妙，汤姆听一 天都喜欢。可是这时她正抱着孩子倚在栏杆上，指给小 ⑥rail[reil]n.栏杆：扶手 家伙看海豚在水中跳跃，和船尾激荡的咕噜咕噜回水。 ⑦gurgle『ggl潺潺地 瞧，小家伙看到汤姆了。 流 汤姆非常肯定孩子看见他了，因为两人的眼光碰上 时，孩子笑了，并且伸出手来。于是汤姆也向他笑，伸 出手来。那孩子在妇人怀里又踢又跳，像是要跳过甲板 去见他。 “你究竞瞧见了什么，宝贝儿？”妇人说。她的眼 睛顺着孩子望的方向看去，也瞧见了在下面水花中游泳 的汤姆。 ·275· Chapter VII She gave a little shriek and start;and then she said,quite quietly,"Babies in the sea?Well,perhaps it is the happiest place for them;"and waved her hand to Tom,and cried,"Wait a little,darling,only a little:and perhaps we shall go with you and be at rest..” And at that an old nurse,all in black,came out and talked to her,and drew her in.And Tom turned away northward,sad and wondering;and watched the great steamer slide away into the dusk,and the lights on board peep out one by one,and die out again,and the long bar of smoke fade away into the evening mist, till all was out of sight. And he swam northward again,day after day,till at last he met the King of the Herrings,with a curry-comb growing out of his nose,and a sprat in his mouth for a cigar,and asked him the way to Shiny Wall;so he bolted his sprat head foremost,and said: "If I were you,young Gentleman,I should go to the Allalonestone,and ask the last of the Gairfowl She is of a very ancient clan,very nearly as ancient as my own;and knows a good deal which these modern upstarts don't,as ladies of old houses are likely to do." Tom asked his way to her,and the King of the Herrings told him very kindly, for he was a courteous old gentleman of the old school,though he was horribly ugly,and strangely bedizened too,like the old dandies who lounge in the club-house windows. But just as Tom had thanked him and set off,he called after him:"Hi!I say, can you fly?" "I never tried,”says Tom.“Why?" "Because,if you can,I should advise you to say nothing to the old lady about it.There;take a hint.Good-bye." And away Tom went for seven days and seven nights due north-west,till he came to a great codbank,the like of which he never saw before.The great cod lay below in tens of thousands,and gobbled shell-fish all day long;and the blue sharks roved above in hundreds,and gobbled them when they came up.So they ·276· 第七章「 ①shriek[ik]n.尖叫 她吓得低呼了一声，接着又很安静地说：“海里的 孩子吗？啊，也许这是孩子们最快乐的去处呢。”她向 汤姆招招手，又叫道：“等一等，小乖乖，稍微等一等： 也许我们也同你一起去，得到安息吧。” 这时候，一个一身黑衣的老保姆上来和她说话，把 她拖进去了。汤姆也转身向北方游去，很伤心，也很迷 茫。他看着汽船在暮色中消失，船上的灯光一个个亮起 来，又一个个隐去。那道长烟也在暮色中愈来愈淡，终 于一点都望不见了。 汤姆继续向北游去，游了一天又一天，后来遇见一 条鲱鱼王，鼻子上长了一柄马梳，嘴里含了一条小鱼当 ②sprat[spraet]n.小鲱 雪茄。汤姆问他去光辉城去的路，他咬了一口鱼头，说： ③bolt [baul]v狼吞虎咽 “年轻人，我如果是你的话，就上孤独礁去问那位 仅存的大海鸦去。她出身于一个非常古老的家族，几乎 和我的家族一样老。她跟许多老宅子里的太太一样，许 ④gairfowl[geof6ul叫n.大 多这些新兴的暴发户不知道的事情，她都知道。” 海鸦 汤姆问怎样能找到大海鸦，鲱鱼王普意地告诉了 他。他原来是那种旧式的老绅士，很懂得礼貌，不过相 貌长得十分丑陋，而且服饰也古怪，就像那些经常在俱 乐部休息室消磨时间的赶时髦的老头一样。 ⑤bedizen[bi'daizn] 可是当汤姆谢过了他，正打算动身时，他又在后面 把…装饰得华丽而 喊道：“我说，你可会飞？” 俗气 ⑥dandy[dandi]n花花公 “我从没有试过。”汤姆说。“怎么了？” 子 “如果你会飞的话，我劝你在那位大海鸦老太太面 前最好一字不提。这话你记在心里，再见。” 汤姆往西北方游了七天七夜，碰见一大群鳕鱼， 那种景象是他从来没有见过的。几万条大鳕鱼潜伏在 水里，终日吞吃着贝壳：几百条青色的鲨鱼在水上游来 ⑦codbank[kodbank] 游去，鳕鱼一游上来就把他们吞吃掉。自古以来，他 n.鳕鱼群 们就这样吃来吃去，相互吞吃，因为人类至今还没有 ⑧rove[reuv)漫游 ·277· Chapter VII ate,and ate,and ate each other,as they had done since the making of the world; for no man had come here yet to catch them,and find out how rich old Mother Carey is. And there he saw the last of the Gairfowl,standing up on the Allalonestones all alone.And a very grand old lady she was,full three feet high,and bolt upright,like some old Highland chieftainess.She had on a black velvet gown, and a white pinner and apron,and a very high bridge to her nose(which is a sure mark of high breeding),and a large pair of white spectacles on it,which made her look rather odd:but it was the ancient fashion of her house. And instead of wings,she had two little feathery arms,with which she fanned herself,and complained of the dreadful heat;and she kept on crooning an old song to herself,which she learnt when she was a little baby-bird,long ago- "Two little birds they sat on a stone, One swam away,and then there was one, With a fal-lal-la-lady. "The other swam after,and then there was none, And so the poor stone was left all alone; With a fal-lal-la-lady." It was“few”away,properly,and not'“swam”away:but,as she could not fly, she had a right to alter it.However,it was a very fit song for her to sing,because she was a lady herself. Tom came up to her very humbly,and made his bow;and the first thing she said was- "Have you wings?Can you fly?" "Oh dear,no,ma'am;I should not think of such thing,"said cunning little Tom. "Then I shall have great pleasure in talking to you,my dear.It is quite refreshing nowadays to see anything without wings.They must all have wings, ·278· 第七章 来捕捉他们，从没有发现护持婆婆的宝藏是如此的丰 富啊！ 就在这里，汤姆见到了那只仅存的大海鸦，孤零零 站在孤独礁上。她是一个神气十足的老太太，足足有三 ①bolt[bault]v.挺直 英尺高，站得笔挺，就像某些高原部落的酋长一样。她 穿了一件黑丝绒的长袍，戴着白帽子，围着白围裙，鼻 ②pinner[pin]n.钉有两 条垂沿的女帽 梁非常高（昭示着她高贵的血统），架了一副白边眼镜， 看上去非常古怪，但这是她家传下来的做派。 她没有长翅膀，只长了两只有羽毛的手臂，自己用 来当扇子，总是埋怨天气太热。她嘴里不断地哼着一支 古老的歌，是她多年前还是一只雏鸟时学会的： ③croon[ku:n,低声吟 唱 “两只小鸟，坐在石头上， 一个游走了，一个在悲伤； 和一个可怜的老太太。 “那一个也游走了，一个也不剩， 只刺下石头清清冷冷； 和一个可怜的老太太。” 原文是“飞走了”而不是“游走了”，可是由于她 自己不能飞，所以她有理由改一下。总之，这支歌由她 来唱非常适合，因为她自己也是个老太太啊。 汤姆恭恭敬敬走到她面前，鞠了一躬。她第一句话 就问： “你有翅膀吗？你会飞吗？” “天哪，不会，太太。这种事情我想也不会想。” 狡猾的小汤姆说。 “那么我非常荣幸能和你谈谈了，乖乖。这年头， 能看见没有翅膀的东西真是令人耳日一新。真是的，现在 他们全都非要有翅膀不可了，包括所有的新发家的鸟儿， ·279·